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Israel's Iron Dome has saved Israeli and Palestinian lives in their hundreds

Israeli soldiers watch as an Iron Dome launcher fires an interceptor rocket near the southern city of Ashdod Photo: REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

As we stood on our rooftop, sirens wailing, our eyes were drawn skywards by the white underbelly of an airliner on its final approach into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport.

Passengers looking out on the right-hand side will have seen missiles whizzing upwards. Seconds later there was a flash in the sky as an Israeli missile destroyed a Palestinian one.

Once more the Iron Dome anti-missile system had done its job. Tel Aviv was spared again.

It is a remarkable system that can neutralise the longest range rocket being fired out of the Gaza Strip.

When they were developing the system, the Israelis were tempted to christen it Golden Dome, but decided it sounded too ostentatious. Having seen it in operation twice now I'm not so sure.

Debris from one of the Hamas rockets that was intercepted hit a car but no-one was injured Credit: ITV News

It has saved hundreds of lives - both Israeli and Palestinian. There is no doubt that if any of the Palestinian rockets that have been shot down had detonated in Tel Aviv, the Army would have invaded by now. The Israeli public would have demanded it.

Instead, Iron Dome has limited casualties and given the Israeli government the ability to delay any decision on a ground invasion that would mean a dreadful escalation of this war.